Suitcase valance structure



Nov. 23, 1948. R. H. woRLEY 2,454,366

y SUITCASE VALANCE STRUCTURE Filed June 27, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 23, 1948.. R. H. WORLEY l 2,454,366

- sUITcAsE VALANGE STRUCTURE Filed June 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2` 't "lala lll'lllnwlllf Patented Nov. 23, 948

SUITCASE VALANCE STRUCTURE Richard H. Worley, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Rice-Stix Dry Goods Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June 27, 1945, Serial No. 601,852

3 Claims. (Cl. 190-28) This invention relates to suitcases or other article carriers of the kind made of molded vulcanized fiber or like material. The object of the present invention is to devise a neat and attractive, light-weight, dust-proof, flush-joint suitcase of the above type that is of strong and durable and simple and economical construction. The invention consists in the suitcase and in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a suitcase embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of said suitcase,

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view thereof,

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional View on the line l-ll in Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view on the line 5--5 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5,

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one of the upper corner portions of the in# wardly offset rim of the body member of the suitcase; and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 8-8 in Fig. '7.

In the accompanying drawings, my invention is shown embodied in a suitcase comprising a relatively deep body or main section A and a relatively shallow hinged cover section B, both made of sheets of vulcanized fiber or other moldable or bendable material. The body A comprises a bottom l, side walls 2 and end walls 3, the bottom and side walls being made from a single sheet or panel of ber and the two end walls being made from separate fiber sheets or panels. The upper marginal portions of the side walls 2 and end walls 3 of the body A are offset inwardly to form a continuous inwardly offset rim 4 and a shoulder or ledge 5 along said walls of said body. The end walls 3 have inturned anges G along their lower and side edges that overlap and are stitched or otherwise permanently secured, as at l', to the outside faces of the bottom .I and the side walls 2, the ends of said flanges terminating substantially nush with the ledge or shoulder 5 formed by the inwardly offset rim portion of the body. Additional fastening means in the form of rivets 'la may be employed to secure the upper ends of the flanges 6 to the side walls 2. The end walls 3 also have hollow beads or ribs 8 on their outer faces that extend along the corners Vformed by the inturned iianges 6 and form grooves or pockets on the inner faces of said end walls to receive the adjacent ends of the bottom l and side walls 2 of the body A.

The cover B also comprises `a top 9 and side walls Il! made from a single sheet or panel of fiber and end walls ll made from separate fiber sheets or panels. The end walls Il of the cover B, like the end walls 3 of the body A, also have inturned flanges l2 along their lower and side edges that overlap and are secured bystitches I3 and rivets I3a to the top 9 and side walls Ill of said cover; and said end walls of said cover are also formed with hollow ribs or beads M forming pockets to receive the ends of said top and side walls of said cover. `Thebottom I of the body A may be formed with longitudinal stiffening ribs l5 on the outer surface thereof. Similar ribs I6 may be formed on the top 9 of the cover. The cover B is hingedly secured to one side wall 2 of the body A below the inwardly offset rim il thereof by means of suitable hinges I1; and suitable locks i8 are provided on the Opposite side wall of said cover `and body for securing the cover in closed position, said last mentioned side of said body being also provided with a suitable carrying handle I9. In the closed position of the cover B the side and end walls thereof nt around the inwardly offset rim 4 of the body A flush with the outside surface of said walls and seat on the ledge 5 formed by` said rim.

The'inwa'rdly offset rim forming portions of the side walls 2 of the body A are bent downwardly, as at 2U, on ythe inside thereof to provide hollow rim portions with rounded upper edges, thence laterally, as at 2|, |beneath the shoulders 5, and thence downwardly, as at 22, along said side walls a suitable distance below said shoulders, the downwardly extending portions 22 having outstanding longitudinal ribs 23 on the eX posed sides thereof whose ends terminate short of the inturned flanges 6 of the end walls 3. The inwardly offset rim forming portions of the end walls 3 of the body A are also bent downwardly, as at 20a, on the inside thereof vto provide tubular rim portions with rounded top edges and are thence bent laterally, as at fla, beneath the shoulders or ledges 5. The inwardly offset tubular rim portion 4 of the body A is reinforced at each of its four corners preferably by means of a metal angle memlber 24 having its legs disposed within and riveted or otherwise Vpermanently secured, as at 25, to the hollow rim forming portions of the side and end walls of said body.

The side walls l0 of the cover B are bent upwardly inside thereof to provide rounded lower edges and upstanding interior flanges 21 with inwardly curled upper edges. The end walls Il of the cover Bare also bent to provide rounded lower edges and upstanding interior flanges 21a. In the closed position of the cover B, the rounded lower edges of the side and end walls thereof seat on the ledges 5 at the base of the .inwardly offset rim portion '4 of the body A with the outside faces of said walls ilush with the outside faces of the corresponding walls of said body and with the up turned anges 21 and 21a, bearing 'laterally against the outside face of said inwardly offset rim portion.

The hereinbefore described suitcase `construction has several important advantages. It dispenses with the need for separate supporting frames for the body and cover and thus saves the cost of such frames and reduces the weight-of the suitcase. The cover seats in the inwardly offset rim portion of the body and provides a flush joint therebetween; and the upturned inner flanges of the cover bear resiliently against the outer side face of said rim portion and prevent entry o'f dust into the suitcase, and said 'flanges strengthen said cover and provide an lattractive rounded lower edge therefor. The two-ply tubular rim portion is vstrong 'and durable and vhas a thick rounded upper edge which gives it a nished appearance; and the ribbed skirt portions 22 of the ldownturned margin of the rim portion serve to reinforce the side walls below said rim portion. The metal angles serve to protect 'and strengthen the inwardly offset rim portion of the body at the corners of the rim portion thereof; and the hollow beads along the edges of theend walls fof thebody and cover serve t-o sti'iien and strengthen said Walls and also to conceal the end edges of the side walls and bottom of the Ibody land the side walls and top ofthe cover.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described suitcase construction admits of considerable modification without departing `from the invention. There fore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown and described.

What I claim is:

'1. A suitcase or the like comprising a vbody having a bottom 'and side and end walls'of sheet material, said side and end wallshaving 'integral marginal portions extending inwardly, thence upwardly and thence downwardly yinside said body 4 and in spaced relation to said upwardly extending portion to provide along the upper margin of said walls a hollow inwardly offset rim portion with a flat exterior ledge along the lower edge of said rim portion, said downwardly extending marginal portions of said side walls then extending outwardly so as to be positioned beneath said exterior ledge and thence downwardly 'Y therebelow where they are secured to said side walls.

2,. The combination set forth in claim 1 where- 'in'vthe downwardly extending marginal portions of -said end Walls then extend outwardly so as to be positioned beneath said exterior ledge.

3. A suitcase or the like comprising a body having a bot-tom and side and end walls of sheet material, `said side and end walls having integral marginal .portions extending inwardly, thence uP- wardlx/.and thence downwardly inside said body and in spaced relation to `said upwardly extending portion to provide along the upper margin of said Walls a hollow inwardly oiset rim portion with a flat exterior ledge lalong the lower edge of said rim portion, said downwardly extending marginal portions of said side walls then extending outwardly so as to :be positoned beneath said exterior ledge and thence downwardly therebelow.

RICHARD H. WORLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 361,885 Morrow Apr. 26, '1887 525,848 Macarthy Sept. 1l, 1894 v562,555 Roemer June 23, 1896 586,297 Vanderman July 13, 1897 943,333 Becker Dec. 14, 1909 1,767,143 La Duke June .24, 1930 2,309,029 Wheary, Jr Jan. '19, 1943 v2,357,037 Wheary, Jr Aug. 29, 1944 2,389,601 DeWitt Nov. `27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,35'4 Great'Britain May 28, 1894 636,190 France Jan. 7, 1928 351,529 Italy Aug. 1'3, 1937 98,887 Sweden May 14, 1940 

